Avoid overusing your hand by spreading work out across multiple days. (Unsplash, CC0)

 

According to National Health Services (NHS), repetitive strain injury (RSI) is muscle pain due to constant overuse. This includes repetitively doing a task or doing a high-intensity task for a long time without rest. For example, writing or typing an essay non-stop will strain hand muscles. Symptoms of RSI include swelling around joints, throbbing pain, frequent cramps, and numbness. The most common areas affected are forearms, elbows, wrists, hands, neck, and shoulders. If not treated, the length of discomfort/pain will increase.

 

There are multiple ways of avoiding RSI. Maintaining good posture while working and taking frequent short breaks from long tasks will help worked muscles relax. For people who work with computers, using ergonomic mice or keyboards will decrease muscle tension.

 

To treat RSI, use cold packs, exercise, or partake in yoga daily eases symptoms. For the most severe RSI, surgery may be required.

 

Spreading out the work across multiple days is the best option, but when time is limited, it doesn’t hurt to take a short break and walk around.